Etsy creating wholesale division

Brooklyn, N.Y. — Etsy, an online marketplace for hand-made home goods, including furniture, is creating a wholesale division that will officially launch this summer, according to a report in the New York Times .

When the platform comes out of beta testing, new sellers will pay a one-time joining fee of $100 and Etsy will collect a 3.5% transaction fee for wholesale purchase orders. The program, announced by Etsy this week, is aimed at connecting sellers of unique, hard-to-find items with qualified independent stores, both in the United States and abroad.